七步诗(qī bù shī)

A Poem within Seven Steps

曹植【三国】(cáo zhí, sān guó)

By Cao Zhi, Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220280)

煮豆燃豆萁，

(zhǔ dòu rán dòu qí,)

Boiling beans by burning the beanstalks,

豆在釜中泣。

(dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì.)

The beans are sobbing inside the pot.

本是同根生，

(běn shì tóng gēn shēng,)

Both of them were from the same root,

相煎何太急？

(xiàng jiān hé tài jí?)

Why should the beanstalk torture the beans so eagerly?

Note:

釜(fǔ): pot in ancient China.

Summary:

The writer was third son of the late king Cao Cao and was famous for his talent. When his brother Cao Pi became the king, he was asked to compose a poem within seven steps duration, or he would be executed. In the poem, Cao Zhi uses “the beanstalks torture the beans” as a metaphor to expose Cao Pi’s brutal oppression. The phrase “tong gen” means the beanstalks and the beans grew from the same root, and also refers to the poet and Cao Pi being born of the same parents. In this case, Cao Zhi asked Cao Pi reprovingly why should Cao Pi torture his own brother so eagerly.

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